TheatreScope · Minneapolis / St. Paul, Mn 100 MEN'S WIFE In this tale of human trafficking during...

TheatreScopeTMthe insider’s guide January 29, 2007

Guide To Issue Of

New York, Ny

A VERY COMMON PROCEDURE A woman’s profound lossleads to an obsession with the doctor whose mistakechanged her life.ANON In a tale of sex, lies, and therapy, a man and awoman deal with their neuroses.LA LLORONA (THE CRYING WOMAN) When a U.S.businessman moves his family to Mexico, they discover aspirit in their house.THE FRUGAL REPAST The theft of a famous work of artby the characters depicted leads to a debate by somefamous figures.THE LAST WORD The Emmy winner from TV’s HillStreet Blues plays a Jew who fled the Nazis and found theAmerican Dream.Montclair, Nj

HONOR AND THE RIVER A young man terrified of thewater tests himself by trying out for the rowing club.Madison, Nj

WHERE THE SUN NEVER SETS In this light-hearted lookat suburbia, a husband searches for a wife who disappearedafter a shopping spree.Philadelphia, Pa

BOOKENDS After testifying before the House Committeeon Un-American Activities, two men find their friendshipirrevocably changed.NERDS://A MUSICAL SOFTWARE SATIRE A number ofBroadway talents are in this musical comedy about thepioneers in personal computing.Washington, Dc

EMERGENCE-SEE! The hip-hop artist offers an acclaimedand explosive performance.THE SMALL THINGS This U.S. debut by Ireland’srenowned blends comedy with tragedy.VIGILS In this off-beat comedy, a young wife won’t let goof her husband – even if he’s dead.Pittsburgh, Pa

MUCKLE MAN In search of a new species, some scientistsjourney to a mysterious world.Atlanta, Ga

FALSE CREEDS An event covered up in U.S. history isthe backdrop for a man’s search for his roots, and a younggirl’s tragedy.

Cincinnati, Oh

1:23 How do parents become capable of doing theunthinkable?Milwaukee, Wi

PARADISE The drama is inspired by a recent suicidebomber – a teenage girl.Chicago, Il

COURT-MARTIAL AT FORT DEVENS The world premieredrama takes on a major racial incident that took place inthe U.S. military.LADY The award-winning writer from stage and screenoffers a haunting look at the politics of betrayal andviolence.THE ADDING MACHINE: A CHAMBER MUSICAL Thismusical adaptation of a 1923 masterpiece follows a workerwho is just a cog in the American business machine.Minneapolis / St. Paul, Mn

100 MEN'S WIFE In this tale of human trafficking duringthe 1800s, a woman escapes and finds a life for herself in astrange country.TALE OF A WEST TEXAS MARSUPIAL GIRL A young girlis born with a pouch like a kangaroo in this worldpremiere.Vancouver, British Columbia

THE QUARREL Two men face off in a confrontation thatputs their hopes and beliefs on the line.Kansas City, Mo

THE GIVER This tale of a future Utopia wonders whetherhuman beings have fully examined the price of perfection.San Diego, Ca

THE FOUR OF US When success arrives for Benjamin, hebegins to lose his best friend.Richmond, British Columbia

CHARLIE CHAPLIN GOES TO WAR This black comedyfollows Charlie Chaplin’s development of his classic film,The Great Dictator.London, England

THE WAR NEXT DOOR In this new verse play, a problemwith the neighbors puts a liberal couple into a dilemma.The Compulsive TheatergoerGREY GARDENS at Walter Kerr TheatreCOMPANY at Ethel Barrymore Theatre

P.O. Box 250894 • NY NY 10025 • 212-662-8070 • [email protected]

January 29, 2007Page 1

TheatreScopeTMthe insider’s guide

New York, NY

“A woman’s profound loss leads to an obsession with the doctor whose mistakechanged her life. A husband, his wife, and her doctor take a crash course in the workings of thehuman heart. Carolyn Goldenhersch begins an extra-marital affair with Dr. Anil Patel that takesthem from Indian restaurants in Queens to Jewish delis on the Lower East Side. Not an unusualNew York story, until you find out how they met. Compelling and deeply human, this premiere isa hard-hitting yet surprisingly funny journey of self-discovery. In facing the horrific momentthat has brought them together, three New Yorkers come to a final confrontation in which faith,love and truth are tested.”

Ensemble: 3 The cast includes Amir Arison (Beast on the Moon, Modern Orthodox, Omnium Gatherum), Lynn Collins (TheWomen, As You Like It, The Merchant of Venice) and Stephen Kunken (Festen, Proof, The Journals of Mihail Sebastian).CREATIVE Director Michael Greif most recently staged the Off-Broadway and Broadway hit, Grey Gardens. Best known for hisTony-nominated direction of Rent, the former La Jolla Playhouse Artistic Director also helmed the musical, Never GonnaDance on Broadway. The design team features Robin Vest (set), Miranda Hoffman (costume), Tyler Micoleau (lighting) andFabian Obispo (sound and music). PLAYWRIGHT Courtney Baron’s plays include These Three Here, Earlstreetman, JohnBrown’s Body, Black Fish, In the Widow’s Garden, Dream of Heaven and Hell, Here I Lie, Love as a Science. Her plays havereceived productions across the country. Awards include 1999 Heideman Award (The Blue Room), finalist for the 1998Princess Grace Award (The Good Night), 1999 Women at the Door Award (Preserve). This play was part of Magic Theater’sHot House Festival where the San Francisco Chronicle dubbed it, “Smart, modern, disarmingly funny and deeply affecting.”INFORMATION: 212-279-4200 Industry Contact Only: (Press) Rick Miramontez 212-695-7400

Drama / Comedy

A VERY COMMON PROCEDURE by Courtney Baron MCC Theatre

“In a tale of sex, lies, and therapy, a man and a woman deal with their neuroses. Thesearing, irreverent tale questions the hazy territory where sex, relationships, and addictionoverlap, and wonders when peccadilloes become obsessions. Trip and Allison meet in a chanceencounter when he hires her as a therapist for his morose, misbehaved cat. Little do they realizethat they’ll end up in an intense relationship. Their desire to save each other and the need to savethemselves may become mutually exclusive choices.”

Ensemble: 14 Featuring Caroline Aaron (the film Crimes and Misdemeanors), Remy Auberjonois (Atlantic’s The IntelligentDesign of Jenny Chow), Susan Blackwell (title of show), Shannon Burkett (The Ride Down Mt. Morgan), Bill Buell(Urinetown), Saidah Arrika Ekulona (Well), Dana Eskelson (After Ashley), Michelle Federer (Wicked), Katy Grenfell(Hairspray), Linda Marie Larson (Jackie: An American Life), Jenny Maguire (Wonder of the World), Kate Nowlin (All ThisIntimacy), Danielle Skraastad (The Pain and the Itch) and Anna Wilson (The Donkey Show). CREATIVE Directed by MelissaKievman. Designers are Chris Muller (set), Anne Kenney (costume), Tyler Micoleau (lighting) and Eric Shim (sound).PLAYWRIGHT Kate Robin penned the plays Intrigue With Faye (MCC), The Light Outside (The Flea), Swimming in March(IRNE Best Play of 2001 award), Bride Stripped Bare (ThreadWaxing Space). Television and film credits include Six FeetUnder (writer/supervising producer) and Coming Soon. She is currently working on a play commission for South Coast Rep,and developing a pilot for CBS. INFORMATION: 212-691-5919 Industry Contact Only: (Press) Joe Perotta 212-575-3030

Debut Drama

ANON by Kate Robin Atlantic Theater Company Stage 2

“When a U.S. businessman moves his family to Mexico, they discover a spirit in theirhouse. An American executive relocates with his pregnant wife to Mexico City where he isopening an American fast food restaurant. In their centuries-old hacienda, the titular spirit singsin hopes of rescuing the couples from danger.”

Male Leads: 1 Female Leads: 1 Wicked veteran Ioana Alfonso and Mamma Mia! alumnus Natasha Tabandera star, joined by JuliaBarnett, Trevor Jones, Mauricio Salgado and Germain Nande. CREATIVE Director Tom Ferriter, who founded Stageplays, hasproduced and staged scores of plays in New York, including Off Broadway’s In The Air. Designers are Zhanna Gurvich (set),Vasilia Zivanic (costumes), Jeffrey Koger (lighting) and Chris Rummel (sound). Ron De Jesus choreographs; Cindy O’Connorcomposed the music. PLAYWRIGHT Mexico City native Culebro also penned A Leopard Complains of Its Spots, The BlankPage, Three Chairs and Just Because You’re Paranoid (Doesn’t Mean They’re Not Out to Get You). INFORMATION:212-279-4200 Industry Contact Only: (Press) Pete Sanders 212-730-0067

New Work

LA LLORONA (THE CRYING WOMAN) by Kathleen Anderson Culebro Stageplays Theatre Company at Beckett Theatre

For direct production inquiries, please use the Information number. Industry Contacts are for script questions.



“When a U.S. businessman moves his family to Mexico, they discover a spirit in theirhouse. An American executive relocates with his pregnant wife to Mexico City where he isopening an American fast food restaurant. In their centuries-old hacienda, the titular spirit singsin hopes of rescuing the couples from danger.”

Male Leads: 1 Female Leads: 1 Wicked veteran Ioana Alfonso and Mamma Mia! alumnus Natasha Tabandera star, joined by JuliaBarnett, Trevor Jones, Mauricio Salgado and Germain Nande. CREATIVE Director Tom Ferriter, who founded Stageplays, hasproduced and staged scores of plays in New York, including Off Broadway’s In The Air. Designers are Zhanna Gurvich (set),Vasilia Zivanic (costumes), Jeffrey Koger (lighting) and Chris Rummel (sound). Ron De Jesus choreographs; Cindy O’Connorcomposed the music. PLAYWRIGHT Mexico City native Culebro also penned A Leopard Complains of Its Spots, The BlankPage, Three Chairs and Just Because You’re Paranoid (Doesn’t Mean They’re Not Out to Get You). INFORMATION:212-279-4200 Industry Contact Only: (Press) Pete Sanders 212-730-0067

New Work

LA LLORONA (THE CRYING WOMAN) by Kathleen Anderson Culebro Stageplays Theatre Company at Beckett Theatre

“The theft of a famous work of art by the characters depicted leads to a debate by somefamous figures. Two impoverished circus performers – unknowingly the subjects of Picasso’slimited edition print – see a copy on display in a Paris gallery. Their outrage at the artist’sinvasion of their privacy (and desperation) prompts them to steal it. The ransom note asks for athousand francs – and fuels Picasso, Gertrude Stein, Alice B. Toklas and other real-life significantart-world figures to debate what, exactly, is art’s true value.”

Ensemble: 9 Featured are Julie Boyd, Roberto DeFelice, Kyrian Friedenberg, Frank Liotti, Dawn Luebbe, Lizbeth MacKay,Kathleen McElfresh, Harold Todd, and David Wohl. CREATIVE Director Joe Grifasi also helmed the workshop of the play atthe 2004 Eugene O’Neill Playwrights Conference. He has directed at Westport Playhouse, Lincoln Center, and Toronto’sTarragon Theatre. Designs are by Ray Recht, set; Matthew McCarthy, lighting; Karin Beatty, costumes; and GrahamJohnson, sound. PLAYWRIGHT The play was selected for the 2004 Eugene O’Neill Playwrights and Musical TheatreConference; it was a finalist for the Bosakowski Award and was featured in Goodman Theatre’s New Stages Series. RonHirsen, whose early plays had readings at Wisdom Bridge and the Goodman Theatre in his native Chicago, saw his playElegy produced by Philadelphia’s Walnut Street Theatre in 2002. His one-act companion piece to Eugene O’Neill’s Hughiehas also received readings. INFORMATION: 212-868-4444 Industry Contact Only: (Press) Daniel Demello 212-221-8466

Historical Work

THE FRUGAL REPAST By Ron Hirsen Abingdon Theatre Company

“The Emmy winner from TV’s Hill Street Blues plays a Jew who fled the Nazis andfound the American Dream. Henry Grunwald is a Viennese Jew who escaped from Germanyand became a successful advertising executive in New York. Now retired and determined to fulfillhis dream of becoming a playwright, Henry engages the assistance of a young, opinionated NYUstudent who shares his passion for writing in this new play about friendship, loyalty, dreams and,ultimately, coming to terms with the past – and present.”

Ensemble: 2 Daniel J. Travanti is best known as Captain Frank Furillo on Hill Street Blues, a two-time Emmy winner. Stagecredits include Old Wicked Songs and All My Sons at The Old Globe, A Touch of the Poet at American Repertory, ArenaStage and Denver Theatre, The Aspern Papers and Les Liaisons Dangereuses in London, and a touring production of Who’sAfraid of Virginia Woolf? opposite Colleen Dewhurst. Co-star Adam Green’s stage credits include All This Intimacy (SecondStage), The Mines of Sulphur (New York City Opera), and Awake and Sing (Arena Stage). CREATIVE Alex Lippard also stagedCupid and Psyche at Altered Stages, The Gold Standard at Irish Arts Center and multiple shows for Friendly Fire, where he isArtistic Director. PLAYWRIGHT Oren Safdie previously wrote Private Jokes, Public Places, which opened Off-Broadway in2003. He has also written the film You Can Thank Me Later, starring Ellen Burstyn, and the plays Jesus & Jews, FiddlerSub-Terrain, Hyper-Allergenic, Broken Places, Laughing Dogs and La Compagnie, which has been developed as a pilot forCBS/Castle Rock. INFORMATION: 212-279-4200 Industry Contact Only: (Press) Sam Rudy 212-221-8466

Debut Drama

THE LAST WORD by Oren Safdie Theatre at St. Clement’s

Montclair, NJ

“A young man terrified of the water tests himself by trying out for the rowing club.Driven by the competition of spring rowing season, one young man confronts his father’s death,as another grapples with his need to express his emotions in a world that discourages them. Afragile friendship begins, although the two are radically different. Meanwhile, their parents forgean unexpected, intimate bond. The lyrical, wry drama is inspired by Thomas Eakins’ paintings.”

Ensemble: 4 The cast features Reathel Bean, David Michael Holmes, Andy Phelan, and Carolyn Popp. CREATIVE DirectorNancy Robillard has staged such premieres as Rosemary & I by Leslie Avayzian (co-directed with Olympia Dukakis), FastBreak at Culture Project, Unsinkable Women at Walnut Street Theatre. The design team includes Robert Monaco (set), DaveFeldman (lighting), Andy Cohen (sound), and Colleen Kesterson (costume). PLAYWRIGHT Anton Dudley has seen his workpresented on numerous New York stages. He is a recipient of the Manhattan Theater Club Playwriting Fellowship and acommission, the Cherry Lane Mentor’s Project Fellowship, a Dramatists Guild Fellowship, a New York Theatre WorkshopResidency at Dartmouth College, a Baryshnikov Dance Foundation residency, both NYU’s Goldberg Award for Best Play(Mentor: Tony Kushner) and the John Golden Prize in Playwriting. INFORMATION: 973-744-3309 Industry Contact Only: (Press)Jeanne Marshall 973-744-3309

Debut Drama

HONOR AND THE RIVER by Anton Dudley Luna Stage Company




Madison, NJ

“In this light-hearted look at suburbia, a husband searches for a wife who disappearedafter a shopping spree. Annie, beloved wife of Bob, mother of two, and liberal attorney,begins talking about trickle down economics, trades in the Subaru for a SUV, and takes off onday-long shopping sprees after being welcomed to their new neighborhood by the veryconservative Monsignor Calibar. One day, on a trip to the mall, she disappears. Bob’s search inthe dark underbelly of the New Jersey suburbs leads him to the elusive Hitchhiker, three copsnamed Halihan, Hoolihan and Moynahan, and the FBI agents known as Figure and Ground, untilhe arrives in an undiscovered utopia in the North Jersey hills.”

Male Leads: 1 Featured as Bob is Jim Ligon (PTNJ’s The Good Girl is Gone and the world premiere of Radium Girls). Joininghim are Andrea Biachi, Brendan Patrick Burke, Jane Keitel, Joel Leffert, Jim Ligon, Michael Irvin Pollard and Daniel RobertSullivan. CREATIVE Directed by Playwrights Theatre’s Artistic Director, John Pietrowski. Designers are Bettina Bierly(costume), Richard Turick (set), Richard Currie (lighting) and Jeff Knapp (sound). PLAYWRIGHT Bob Clyman’s plays have beenperformed Off-Broadway and at many leading theatres. He has also been awarded a number of national prizes, including aEugene O’Neill Summer Conference Fellowship, New Jersey State Arts Council Award, Berilla-Kerr Foundation Award,Edward Albee Foundation Fellowship, Djerassi Foundation Fellowship, and Playwrights First Award, among others. He was amember of the Circle Rep Lab in New York, where four of his plays were produced. INFORMATION: 973-514-1787 x30 IndustryContact Only: (Press) Jennifer DeWitt 973-514-1787 x20

Comedy Opening

WHERE THE SUN NEVER SETS by Bob Clyman Playwrights Theatre of New Jersey

Philadelphia, PA

“After testifying before the House Committee on Un-American Activities, two menfind their friendship irrevocably changed. Jake Kale and Matt Burke, a popular, successfulAmerican director/writer team, have fallen under zealous scrutiny. What they choose to reveal onthe stand will damage their careers and their lifelong friendship. Thirteen years later, the rift isclear – they haven’t spoken to each other since the hearings. When they are suddenly reunited ona new project, they struggle to piece their relationship back together. How much was Jake willingto reveal on the stand? Is he at fault for the heartbreaking aftermath? Can Jake and Matt write anew chapter and heal old wounds, or are memories all they have left?”

Ensemble: 3 Three acclaimed actors are featured. Warren Kelley, a New York actor and veteran of more than 150 differentproductions, plays Jake Kale. Greg Wood previously had turns in Finian’s Rainbow and The Constant Wife at the Walnut andwas also featured in the film, The Sixth Sense. Ellen Tobie previously appeared in Walnut productions of The PhiladelphiaStory and Brighton Beach Memoirs. CREATIVE Tom Markus, whose history with Walnut goes back to the company’s firstseason, returns to direct. He has served as an actor, director and writer in London, Paris, Cyprus, Egypt, and Australia. LindaSarver is set and costume designer. Shelley is lighting designer. Christopher Colucci is sound designer.PLAYWRIGHT M. J. Feelyis a promising new playwright, recognized by the American College Theatre Festival, winning the second place David LibraryAward for Best Play on American History and UCLA’s Donald Davis Award for Best Play. Bookends, his latest work, wasalso a finalist in the Dayton Playhouse’s FutureFest competition. INFORMATION: 215-574-3550 Industry Contact Only: (Press) TomMiller 215-574-3555

Historical Work

BOOKENDS by M. J. Feely Walnut Street Theatre’s Independence Studio on 3

“A number of Broadway talents are in this musical comedy about the pioneers inpersonal computing. The light-hearted show is an epic take on the parallel stories oftechnology pioneers Bill Gates and Steve Jobs as they blaze a path from garage inventors towarring titans of the computer revolution. From the invention of the floppy disk and the mouseto the present-day phenomenon of instant messaging and podcasting, the show hilariouslycelebrates the birth of computer technology and the two pop-culture icons that made it possible.The original score features songs titles including ‘Stroll Through the P.A.R.C.,’ ‘ThinkDifferent,’ ‘Let’s Merge,’ ‘The Windows Rap,’ and more.”

Male Leads: 2 Featured are Jim Poulos (Broadway’s Rent, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer) as Bill Gates and Charlie Pollack(Broadway’s Urinetown) as Steve Jobs, with Andrew Cassese, Joseph Dellger, Michael Parish DuDell, David Rossmer, ChandraLee Schwartz, and Emily Shoolin. CREATIVE Directed by Philip Wm. McKinley, who also staged the five-timeTony-nominated musical, The Boy from Oz and New York City Opera’s The Most Happy Fella starring Paul Sorvino.Choreography is by two-time Tony Award nominee Joey McKneely (Smokey Joe's Cafe, The Life). Musical direction is byMatt Doebler with musical supervision and arrangements by Nadia DiGallinardo. Designers are Alejo Vietti (costumes), MikeBaldassari (lighting), Fitz Patton (sound) and Zachary Borovay (projection). PLAYWRIGHT Lyricist-librettists JordanAllen-Dutton and Erik Weiner also collaborated on the popular Off-Broadway production, The Bomb-itty of Errors, “ahip-hop add-rap-tation” of Shakespeare’s Comedy of Errors. It has played in the West End in London and regionally, and wasnominated for a Drama Desk Award for Best Lyrics, nominated for the Outer Critics’ Circle Award, and won the JeffersonAward in Chicago and the Grand Jury Prize for Best Show at the HBO US Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen. The teamco-created and starred in the hip-hop sketch comedy series Scratch and Burn for MTV and recently completed ten episodesof Robot Chicken for Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim series. They are currently contemporizing the classic cartoon showUnderdog for television as well as developing other projects for film and television. Composer Hal Goldberg hascomposed the music for The Children, Ma Vie En Rosewood, and A Play Without Gravity, with book and lyrics by StanRichardson. INFORMATION: 215-985-0420 / 866-985-0420 Industry Contact Only: (Press) Deborah Fleischman 215-735-7356

MusicalPremiere

NERDS://A MUSICAL SOFTWARE SATIRE book and lyrics by Jordan Allen-Dutton and Erik Weiner,music by Hal Goldberg Philadelphia Theatre Company




“A number of Broadway talents are in this musical comedy about the pioneers inpersonal computing. The light-hearted show is an epic take on the parallel stories oftechnology pioneers Bill Gates and Steve Jobs as they blaze a path from garage inventors towarring titans of the computer revolution. From the invention of the floppy disk and the mouseto the present-day phenomenon of instant messaging and podcasting, the show hilariouslycelebrates the birth of computer technology and the two pop-culture icons that made it possible.The original score features songs titles including ‘Stroll Through the P.A.R.C.,’ ‘ThinkDifferent,’ ‘Let’s Merge,’ ‘The Windows Rap,’ and more.”

Male Leads: 2 Featured are Jim Poulos (Broadway’s Rent, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer) as Bill Gates and Charlie Pollack(Broadway’s Urinetown) as Steve Jobs, with Andrew Cassese, Joseph Dellger, Michael Parish DuDell, David Rossmer, ChandraLee Schwartz, and Emily Shoolin. CREATIVE Directed by Philip Wm. McKinley, who also staged the five-timeTony-nominated musical, The Boy from Oz and New York City Opera’s The Most Happy Fella starring Paul Sorvino.Choreography is by two-time Tony Award nominee Joey McKneely (Smokey Joe's Cafe, The Life). Musical direction is byMatt Doebler with musical supervision and arrangements by Nadia DiGallinardo. Designers are Alejo Vietti (costumes), MikeBaldassari (lighting), Fitz Patton (sound) and Zachary Borovay (projection). PLAYWRIGHT Lyricist-librettists JordanAllen-Dutton and Erik Weiner also collaborated on the popular Off-Broadway production, The Bomb-itty of Errors, “ahip-hop add-rap-tation” of Shakespeare’s Comedy of Errors. It has played in the West End in London and regionally, and wasnominated for a Drama Desk Award for Best Lyrics, nominated for the Outer Critics’ Circle Award, and won the JeffersonAward in Chicago and the Grand Jury Prize for Best Show at the HBO US Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen. The teamco-created and starred in the hip-hop sketch comedy series Scratch and Burn for MTV and recently completed ten episodesof Robot Chicken for Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim series. They are currently contemporizing the classic cartoon showUnderdog for television as well as developing other projects for film and television. Composer Hal Goldberg hascomposed the music for The Children, Ma Vie En Rosewood, and A Play Without Gravity, with book and lyrics by StanRichardson. INFORMATION: 215-985-0420 / 866-985-0420 Industry Contact Only: (Press) Deborah Fleischman 215-735-7356

MusicalPremiere

NERDS://A MUSICAL SOFTWARE SATIRE book and lyrics by Jordan Allen-Dutton and Erik Weiner,music by Hal Goldberg Philadelphia Theatre Company

Washington, DC

“The hip-hop artist offers an acclaimed and explosive performance. Set in 2006, whenthe supernatural emergence of a slave ship in front of the Statue of Liberty sends New York Cityinto a whirlwind of emotion, Beaty works in bursts of slam poetry, transformation, testimony,and song to weave his characters’ stories. A homeless man, a scientist, a republican businessexecutive, a street vendor and an 11-year old boy from the projects respond to the unexpectedphenomenon. This commentary on what it is to be human and free was praised by Variety as‘remarkably entertaining’ and the tour de force performance was hailed by The New York Timesas a ‘dazzling 90 minutes.’”

Solo Show PLAYWRIGHT Daniel Beaty is an award-winning actor, singer, writer and composer. He has worked throughout theU.S., Europe, and Africa in T.V., solo concerts, theater and opera including performances at The White House, The Apolloand The Kennedy Center. Beaty is the 2004 Grand Slam Champion at the well known Nuyorican Poet’s Cafe and the FoxNetwork’s National Redemption Slam Championship. His writings and compositions have been performed at the PublicTheater, Brooklyn Academy of Music, New York Theater Workshop, American Conservatory Theater, and other venues.INFORMATION: 202-488-3300 Industry Contact Only: (Press) Kristin Lunke 202-554-9066

PerformancePiece

EMERGENCE-SEE! by Daniel Beaty Arena Stage

“This U.S. debut by Ireland’s renowned blends comedy with tragedy. The play tells thestory of an elderly couple navigating horror and humor, love and loss, with equal grace. Theybegin by reminiscing about their childhoods and how they became best friends as children in thesmall village where they both grew up. Eventually we learn that the people of the village becamethe subjects of an unspeakably atrocious experiment in behavior control performed by theWoman’s father and the owner of the local fish-and-chips shop. The debut is a heartbreaking,painful and absorbing piece of theatre.”

Ensemble: 2 Kate Debelack (Woman) and Chris Davenport (Man) star. Debelack recently received critical acclaim for her rolein Studio Theatre’s production of Fat Pig. Both have worked with the director previously in various local productions.CREATIVE Directed by Kathleen Akerley, Artistic Director of Longacre Lea Productions, a Helen Hayes nominee and a 2006recipient of the Theatre Lobby’s Marry Goldwater Award. Her previous credits include Washington Shakespeare Company,Catalyst, Forum Theatre and Rorschach. Designers are Phil Duarte (set), Marianne Meadows (lighting), Chris Pifer (sound),and Lynly Saunders (costume). PLAYWRIGHT The Small Things was first produced by Paines Plough as part of their This OtherEngland series in 2005. Enda Walsh is one of Ireland’smost successful and widely performed contemporary playwrights. Hisplays, though relatively unknown to American audiences, have contributed considerably to the ongoing interest in new Irishtheatrical writing around the world. Walsh was recently appointed writer-in-residence at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin and hismost recent play, The Walworth Farce, is currently being produced by the Druid Theatre Company in Galway, Cork andDublin. Other plays include Chatroom, for NT Shell Connections, which is currently being adapted into a film; and Disco

Pigs, which won the Arts Council Playwrights’ Award for Best Production at Dublin Fringe 1996 and the 1997 StewartParker and George Devine Awards. PRODUCER Solas Nua (New Light) is the only organization in the U.S. dedicatedexclusively to contemporary Irish arts. INFORMATION: 202-315-1305 Industry Contact Only: (Press) Lindsay Allen 202-487-0438

New Work

THE SMALL THINGS by Enda Walsh Solas Nua at Mead Theatre Lab




“This U.S. debut by Ireland’s renowned blends comedy with tragedy. The play tells thestory of an elderly couple navigating horror and humor, love and loss, with equal grace. Theybegin by reminiscing about their childhoods and how they became best friends as children in thesmall village where they both grew up. Eventually we learn that the people of the village becamethe subjects of an unspeakably atrocious experiment in behavior control performed by theWoman’s father and the owner of the local fish-and-chips shop. The debut is a heartbreaking,painful and absorbing piece of theatre.”

Ensemble: 2 Kate Debelack (Woman) and Chris Davenport (Man) star. Debelack recently received critical acclaim for her rolein Studio Theatre’s production of Fat Pig. Both have worked with the director previously in various local productions.CREATIVE Directed by Kathleen Akerley, Artistic Director of Longacre Lea Productions, a Helen Hayes nominee and a 2006recipient of the Theatre Lobby’s Marry Goldwater Award. Her previous credits include Washington Shakespeare Company,Catalyst, Forum Theatre and Rorschach. Designers are Phil Duarte (set), Marianne Meadows (lighting), Chris Pifer (sound),and Lynly Saunders (costume). PLAYWRIGHT The Small Things was first produced by Paines Plough as part of their This OtherEngland series in 2005. Enda Walsh is one of Ireland’smost successful and widely performed contemporary playwrights. Hisplays, though relatively unknown to American audiences, have contributed considerably to the ongoing interest in new Irishtheatrical writing around the world. Walsh was recently appointed writer-in-residence at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin and hismost recent play, The Walworth Farce, is currently being produced by the Druid Theatre Company in Galway, Cork andDublin. Other plays include Chatroom, for NT Shell Connections, which is currently being adapted into a film; and Disco

Pigs, which won the Arts Council Playwrights’ Award for Best Production at Dublin Fringe 1996 and the 1997 StewartParker and George Devine Awards. PRODUCER Solas Nua (New Light) is the only organization in the U.S. dedicatedexclusively to contemporary Irish arts. INFORMATION: 202-315-1305 Industry Contact Only: (Press) Lindsay Allen 202-487-0438

New Work

THE SMALL THINGS by Enda Walsh Solas Nua at Mead Theatre Lab

“In this off-beat comedy, a young wife won’t let go of her husband – even if he’s dead.It’s hard to let go of the ones we love. That is the bizarre premise of this inventive andprovocative new work from the young author of the bi-coastal hit, Mr. Marmalade. A womanclings to her dead husband’s talkative soul and aggressively active body, even while she strugglesto have sex with someone new! The result is a juggling act of the heart and mind, by turnshilarious, tender, and deep. During its Chicago opening, it was dubbed by the critics as ‘A wise,zany, bittersweet, sexy play’ (Chicago-Sun Times).”

Ensemble: 4 Featuring Woolly acting company members Naomi Jacobson and Michael Russotto, with Matthew Montelongo(Roundabout Theatre’s Arms and the Man) and J. Fred Shiffman (Arena Stage’s She Loves Me, Studio Theatre’s Privates onParade). CREATIVE Directed by Colette Searls, whose recent directing credits include productions at the University ofMaryland, and Promenade (three OC Weekly Award nominations) at the University of California, Irvine. Designers are DanEttinger (set), Kate Turner-Walker (costume), Colin K. Bills (lighting), Ryan Rumery (sound), and Jennifer Sheetz(properties). PLAYWRIGHT Noah Haidle’s play Mr. Marmalade had its New York premiere at Roundabout Theatre Company.His most recent plays include Princess Marjorie, which received its world premiere at South Coast Repertory, and Rag AndBone, presented at the Long Wharf Theatre as part of the New American Voices Festival. He is currently working on newplay commissions from Playwrights Horizons and Princeton University and a screenplay for Scott Rudin Productions. He isthe recipient of three Lincoln Center Le Compte Du Nuoy Awards, the 2005 Helen Merrill Award for emerging Playwrightsand an NEA/TCG theatre residency grant. INFORMATION: 202-393-3939 Industry Contact Only: (Press) Michael Kyrioglou 202-312-5261

Comedy Opening

VIGILS by Noah Haidle Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company

Pittsburgh, PA

“In search of a new species, some scientists journey to a mysterious world. The worldpremiere is set around the deep waters of an isolated bay in Newfoundland, where marine biologistAddison Clark has come to search for Architeuthis, the elusive giant squid, intent on solving itsmysteries. On dry land, Clark’s wife, Marina, chases a mystery of her own when she rescues anaked stranger from the ocean. As the natural world is thrown off balance, what surfaces is amystical tale of the sea and its secrets. Currents of pop culture, contemporary science, andancient folklore run through this chilling edge-of-your seat thriller.”

Ensemble: 7 Appearing are Joe Bender, Nathan Blew, Tami Dixon, C.J. Ketchum, Brett Mack, James Lloyd Reynolds andRobin Walsh. CREATIVE City Theatre Artistic Director Tracy Brigden directs. Designers are Tony Ferrieri (scenic), AndrewDavid Ostrowski (lighting), Angela M. Vesco (costumes), and Jorge Cousineau (sound). PLAYWRIGHT The emerging playwrighthas had a great deal of success in recent years. He has received an Excellence in Playwriting Award from New York’sInternational Fringe Festival for his play Say You Love Satan. In 2006, he had three new plays produced: The Velvet Sky(Woolly Mammoth), Based on a Totally True Story (Manhattan Theatre Club) and Dark Matters (Rattlestick PlaywrightsTheatre). He is currently working on a commission for Second Stage and a commission for Arena Stage called The CloudClub. In addition to his work for the stage, he writes the monthly adventures of The Sensational Spider-Man for MarvelComics. For Warner Bros., he is developing his play Dark Matters into a horror screenplay. PRODUCER This is the first ofCity Theatre’s New American Trio, an innovative series of three brand-new plays. INFORMATION: 412-431-2489 Industry ContactOnly: (Press) Margie Romero 412-431-4400

Mystery /Suspense

MUCKLE MAN by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa City Theatre Company




Atlanta, GA

“An event covered up in U.S. history is the backdrop for a man’s search for his roots,and a young girl’s tragedy. It’s the dawn of the Roaring Twenties and nestled in the midst ofTulsa, Oklahoma, is a collection of some of the nation’s most well-heeled and well-to-doAfrican-American professionals and business owners. When one night of terror and destructionchanges the community forever, a legacy of both shame and triumph is created that will affectgenerations to come. The premiere examines the anatomy of a catastrophe and the survivalinstincts such events inspire as it follows two contemporary characters.”

Ensemble: 6 The six-member cast features local actors Joniece Abbot-Pratt, Alecia Robinson and Geoffrey D. Williams. Alsoin the cast are Joy C. Hooper, Warner Miller and chandra thomas [sic] from New York. CREATIVE Director Wendy Goldberg isArtistic Director of the National Playwrights Conference at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center where she staged theworkshop of False Creeds. She has also worked on various leading stages, such as Denver Center and Arena Stage. At thelatter, she served as Artistic Associate and led the new play development program. Joining her are Karma Camp,choreographer and Kendall Simpson, music composer. Designers are Todd Rosenthal, set; Anne Kennedy, costumes; JoshuaEpstein, lighting; Clay Benning, sound. PLAYWRIGHT In addition to winning the Kendeda Graduate Playwriting Competition,False Creeds was was a finalist for the Goldberg Prize in Playwriting. Darren Canady’s ten-minute play He Was Mine ButThen You Took Him received an NYU production and was accepted to compete in the regional stagings of the KennedyCenter American College Theatre Festival. The short was also a finalist for the Actors Theatre of Louisville’s 2006Heidelman Playwriting Award. PRODUCER The grand prize for the winner of the Kendeda Graduate Playwriting Competition(GPC) is a professional production at Alliance Theatre, following a workshop at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center.INFORMATION: 404-733-5000 Industry Contact Only: (Press) Marci Tate 404-733-4713

Historical Work

FALSE CREEDS by Darren M. Canady Alliance Theatre Company

Cincinnati, OH

“How do parents become capable of doing the unthinkable? As the show begins, a motherappears on a television screen, pleading for the return of her two young children, the victims of acarjacking. But her story begins to fall apart. In another scene, a police sergeant beginsinterrogating a woman about the drowning of her five children. Calmly and with almost noemotion, she describes what happened. What would bring a mother to kill her own child? Thestunning, provocative new work explores the shades of gray within the darkest side of humanbehavior. The world-premiere drama offers a collage of scenes inspired by true cases. The playuses the stories of Susan Smith and Andrea Yates among others, combining remarkable flights offancy with actual testimony from police transcripts.”

Ensemble: 6 The production features Robert Elliott, Eva Kaminsky, Deborah Knox, Rege Lewis, Shirley Roeca and JoshShirley. CREATIVE The production reunites much of the creative team from the Playhouse’s critically acclaimed production ofKreitzer’s The Love Song of J. Robert Oppenheimer. Director Mark Wing-Davey is joined by designers Douglas Stein (set),David Weiner (lighting), Ruppert Bohle (video), as well as sound designer and composer Marc Gwinn. Joining them are co-setdesigner Peter Ksander and costume designer Kaye Voyce.PLAYWRIGHT This is the second Playhouse world premiere forplaywright Carson Kreitzer. The Love Song of J. Robert Oppenheimer was produced in 2003 and won the Lois and RichardRosenthal New Play Prize. It went on to win the American Theatre Critics’ Steinberg Citation and the Barrie Stavis Awardand is published in Smith and Kraus’ New Playwrights: Best Plays of 2004 and by Dramatic Publishing. Kreitzer’s other worksinclude Self Defense or Death of Some Salesmen, The Slow Drag, Valerie Heroin/e (Keep Us Quiet), Freakshow, Slither,Dead Wait and Take My Breath Away. INFORMATION: 513-421-3888 Industry Contact Only: (Press) Christa Skiles 513-345-2242 x232

Docu-Drama

1:23 by Carson Kreitzer Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park




Milwaukee, WI

“The drama is inspired by a recent suicide bomber – a teenage girl. Life is complicatedenough for seventeen year-old girls, but when one is Palestinian and the other Israeli, itapproaches the impossible. From across a divided West Bank, Fatima and Sarah search for thetruth, and question the validity of this pernicious conflict that defines their world. By challengingthe status quo, they find themselves on a collision course where the destination – onceunthinkable – becomes the inevitable.”

Female Leads: 2 Featuring Leah Dutchin and Emily Trask as the young women, with Mary MacDonald Kerr, Luke Leonhardt,and Joseph Fernandez. CREATIVE Director David Cecsarini is Next Act’s Producing Artistic Director. He has stagedtwenty-four productions for Next Act, and has also performed in a number of them. Also a sound designer, he has createdeffects for more than 50 professional productions. Other designers are Megan Wilkerson (set), Marsha Kuligowski (costume),Andrew Meyers (lighting). PLAYWRIGHT The late Glyn O’Malley, playwright, director and educator, authored 19 plays beforehis untimely death in 2006. His most recent plays were his “war cycle” New York premieres: Paradise (Kirk Theatre, 2005),A Heartbeat to Baghdad (The Flea, 2004) and Concertina's Rainbow (Cherry Lane Alternative, 2001). His plays have beenmounted by many of New York’s leading stages. He directed over 50 productions in major theatres around the US andEurope, including the world premiere of Albee’s Men and Albee’s Women. He was Associate Producer for the EnglishSpeaking Theatre of Vienna for 12 years and the former Literary Director for the Edward F. Albee Foundation. His mostrecent play, Goodnight Mr. Jefferson, is under option for production. INFORMATION: 414-278-0765 Industry Contact Only: (Press)Charise Dawson 414-278-7780

Debut Drama

PARADISE by Glyn O’Malley Next Act Theatre

Chicago, IL

“The world premiere drama takes on a major racial incident that took place in the U.S.military. The time is 1944-1945, and America is at war on two fronts. Service personnel ofevery description are being trained and processed at a huge military installation at Fort Devens,Mass. The U.S. military is largely segregated (and sexist) at the time, but the WAACs (theWomen’s Army Auxiliary Corp) was established, and went on to urge that women of allbackgrounds should be part of the war effort. An incident takes place between privates whohappen to be black women, a white colonel determined to keep them in their place, and a heroicblack lawyer who took their case with a little help from Eleanor Roosevelt. The play resurrects amoment in US history which is unfamiliar to most today.”

Ensemble: 6 Cast members include Velma Austin (Tenola Stoney), James Krag (Colonel Kimball, others), Morocco Omari(Steele, others), Ericka Ratcliff (Virginia Boyd), Samantha D. Tanner (Johnnie Mae, others) and Philip Edward Van Lear(Julian Rainey, Virginia's father). CREATIVE Directed by Andrea J. Dymond, Resident Director. Dymond also staged VictoryGardens’ premieres of Gloria Bond Clunie’s Shoes (Best Director nomination, Black Theatre Alliance), Charles Smith’sFree Man of Color (Jeff nomination for Best New Work), and Pearl Cleage’s Bourbon at the Border. The design teamincludes Mary Griswold (set), Birgit Rattenborg-Wise (costumes), Charles Cooper (lights) and Victoria DiIorio (sound).PLAYWRIGHT This is the twelfth production of Jeffrey Sweet’s 25 year association with Victory Gardens. Plays that have beenmounted here include Ties, The Value of Names, Flyovers, Bluff, The Action Against Sol Schumann, Immoral Imperatives andBerlin '45. Scores of productions of his work have been performed around the country, in New York and around the world aswell as on radio and TV. Most recently, The Value Of Names was revived to widespread critical acclaim at New Jersey’sGeorge Street Playhouse featuring Jack Klugman opposite Dan Lauria. His plays have won the Jefferson Award (and threeJefferson nominations), two American Theatre Critics Association playwriting awards (and several nominations), a “BestPlays” citation, the Outer Critics Circle Award and a Kennedy Center-American Express honor. INFORMATION: 773-871-3000Industry Contact Only: (Press) Jay Kelly 773-384-1143

Historical Work

COURT-MARTIAL AT FORT DEVENS by Jeffrey Sweet Victory Gardens Theater

“The award-winning writer from stage and screen offers a haunting look at the politicsof betrayal and violence. A hunting trip in the woods turns tragic when a U.S. Congressmanreveals to his closest friends that he is changing his political party and his stance on the war inIraq. Politics get personal and loyalties are tested, as the friends struggle with conflicting feelings

of trust and betrayal. Meanwhile, one hunter’s trusty gun dog, Lady, wanders lost in the forest.As each man’s ulterior motives become clear, one thing seems certain: after this walk in thewoods, nothing will ever, ever be the same.”

Ensemble: 3 Featured are Paul Sparks (Broadway’s Take Me Out), Lance Baker (The Importance of Being Ernest at CourtTheatre, The Dollhouse at The Goodman) and Michael Shannon (last season’s Grace, and the recent films World TradeCenter, Bug and Lucky You). CREATIVE As Artistic Director of Northlight, director BJ Jones also piloted the world premieresof Rounding Third, Sky Girls, and Cat Feet. A two-time Jeff Award winner, Jones has performed at virtually every majortheatre in Chicago. He has also directed on many leading regional stages. He is joined by designers Jack Magaw (scenic), JRLederle (lighting), Mike Floyd (costume), and Lindsay Jones (sound). PLAYWRIGHT Craig Wright writes for stage and screen.Television credits include Six Feet Under (for which he won an Emmy Award), Lost and Brothers and Sisters. The popularplaywright was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for Pavilion. It is one of four plays set in Pine City including Molly’sDelicious, Orange Flower Water, and Melissa Arctic (Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding New Play); all have receivednumerous productions around the country. His play last season, Grace, premiered at Woolly Mammoth where it wasnominated for the Helen Hayes Award. Other recent plays are Recent Tragic Events, and Main Street, adapted from SinclairLewis, which was commissioned and premiered by History Theatre. PRODUCER In its 30-year history, Northlight Theatre hasmounted over 150 productions, including over 31 world premieres, and garnered 114 Joseph Jefferson Award nominationsand 16 Awards. INFORMATION: 847-673-6300 Industry Contact Only: (Press) Cathy Taylor 312-932-9950

Debut Drama

LADY by Craig Wright Northlight Theatre




“The award-winning writer from stage and screen offers a haunting look at the politicsof betrayal and violence. A hunting trip in the woods turns tragic when a U.S. Congressmanreveals to his closest friends that he is changing his political party and his stance on the war inIraq. Politics get personal and loyalties are tested, as the friends struggle with conflicting feelings

of trust and betrayal. Meanwhile, one hunter’s trusty gun dog, Lady, wanders lost in the forest.As each man’s ulterior motives become clear, one thing seems certain: after this walk in thewoods, nothing will ever, ever be the same.”

Ensemble: 3 Featured are Paul Sparks (Broadway’s Take Me Out), Lance Baker (The Importance of Being Ernest at CourtTheatre, The Dollhouse at The Goodman) and Michael Shannon (last season’s Grace, and the recent films World TradeCenter, Bug and Lucky You). CREATIVE As Artistic Director of Northlight, director BJ Jones also piloted the world premieresof Rounding Third, Sky Girls, and Cat Feet. A two-time Jeff Award winner, Jones has performed at virtually every majortheatre in Chicago. He has also directed on many leading regional stages. He is joined by designers Jack Magaw (scenic), JRLederle (lighting), Mike Floyd (costume), and Lindsay Jones (sound). PLAYWRIGHT Craig Wright writes for stage and screen.Television credits include Six Feet Under (for which he won an Emmy Award), Lost and Brothers and Sisters. The popularplaywright was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for Pavilion. It is one of four plays set in Pine City including Molly’sDelicious, Orange Flower Water, and Melissa Arctic (Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding New Play); all have receivednumerous productions around the country. His play last season, Grace, premiered at Woolly Mammoth where it wasnominated for the Helen Hayes Award. Other recent plays are Recent Tragic Events, and Main Street, adapted from SinclairLewis, which was commissioned and premiered by History Theatre. PRODUCER In its 30-year history, Northlight Theatre hasmounted over 150 productions, including over 31 world premieres, and garnered 114 Joseph Jefferson Award nominationsand 16 Awards. INFORMATION: 847-673-6300 Industry Contact Only: (Press) Cathy Taylor 312-932-9950

Debut Drama

LADY by Craig Wright Northlight Theatre

“This musical adaptation of a 1923 masterpiece follows a worker who is just a cog inthe American business machine. The beleaguered protagonist, Mr. Zero, is an anonymousworker in a much larger enterprise. This man, who acts as a human calculator, murders his bossafter getting fired on his 25th anniversary. He is swiftly tried and executed. The play’s secondhalf takes place in the afterlife, where Zero has a chance to redeem himself. His journey throughlife, death and romance in the Elysian Fields is set to an eclectic score, with influences fromStravinsky to American blues to Rodgers and Hammerstein in this ambitious world premiere.”

Male Leads: 1 Featured are Chicago veterans Joel Hatch and Cyrilla Baer as Mr. and Mrs. Zero, cabaret star Amy Warren isMiss Devore, and Ian Westerfer as Shrdlu. Joining them are Michael Vieau, Steve Welsh, Rosalind Hurwitz, Kevin D. Mayes,and Toni Inzeo. CREATIVE Director David Cromer has numerous Chicago credits, notably a staging of Angels in America:Parts 1 & 2, which received 1998 Jeff Awards for Production, Direction and Ensemble, as well as the 2000 world premiere ofOrson’s Shadow at Steppenwolf, with subsequent productions at the Williamstown Theater Festival and Westport Playhouse.Musical direction by Jeremy Ramey. Designers are Matthew J. York (set), Kristine Knanishu (costumes), Keith Parham(lighting). Sound is by Jeff Dublinske and composer Joshua Schmidt. PLAYWRIGHT Co-creator Joshua Schmidt has scores ofcredits for composition and sound design work for theatrical productions on such leading stages as Steppenwolf, KennedyCenter and Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C. This is his first full-length musical theater work. He will be working againwith director David Cromer on the score for Alley Theatre’s of The Clean House in Houston. Jason Loewith is aJeff-nominated, After Dark award-winning director and producer and has served as Artistic Director of Next TheatreCompany since 2002. In addition to many Chicago-area premieres for the company, he has directed Off-Broadway. He alsoserved as General Manager and Dramaturg for Classic Stage Company. As an adaptor, he has created theater works based ontranscripts (Bert Brecht), diaries (Talking With…Ben Jonson and A Better Class of Person: The Diaries of John Osborne), andother found materials (An Evening With the Society for Real Art, Grimm’s Fairytales, Voices from Jerusalem). INFORMATION:847-475-1875 x2 Industry Contact Only: (Press) Chelsea Keenan 847-475-6763

MusicalPremiere

THE ADDING MACHINE: A CHAMBER MUSICAL music by Joshua Schmidt, book and lyrics byJason Loewith and Schmidt, from Elmer Rice Next Theatre Company




Minneapolis / St. Paul, MN

“In this tale of human trafficking during the 1800s, a woman escapes and finds a lifefor herself in a strange country. In 1885, Liang May Seen’s family sold her to a man in1885 when she was 14 years old. He had promised her mother that she would marry a richChinese merchant in San Francisco, but instead she was sold to a Chinatown brothel. Desperate,she risked her life making a daring escape and eventually was taken in by a mission home. There,she met a businessman from Minneapolis who married her; they moved to Minneapolis. Shebecame one of the most influential leaders in the Westminster Presbyterian Church and helpednew immigrants with problems they faced in their new lives.”

Female Leads: 1 Sun Mee Chomet stars as Liang May Seen with Sherwin Resureccion as Woo Yee Sing. Also featured is CharityJones, playing Eliza Rasheed. CREATIVE Suzy Messerole directs. PLAYWRIGHT Jeany Park also wrote Falling Flowers (2003)depicting the fate of Korean comfort women in WWII. She presented the idea of this play in 2001 as part of the RiverDragon Tales: Stories of Minnesota Asian Pacific Islander woman. An early draft was well received at a 2004 Raw Stagesreading. It was there that Park began a three-year collaboration with director Suzy Messerole. INFORMATION: 651-292-4323Industry Contact Only: (Press) Janelle LaCoursiere 651.292.4323 x101

Historical Work

100 MEN'S WIFE by Jeany Park History Theatre

“A young girl is born with a pouch like a kangaroo in this world premiere. In a smallTexas town, an ordinary girl is born with a most extraordinary pouch. Although she has the loveand support of her Mom and her good friend Sue, the townspeople reject or fear her. When shemust find a way to stand up to the entire town, what does she rely on? Her mysterious, magical,powerful pouch. The rhythms of this quirky town are echoed in original songs composed in thestyles of rockabilly and Texas swamp blues. This story of a special girl demonstates that what isdifferent can be good, while it celebrates the rollicking idiosyncrasies of West Texas.”

Female Leads: 1 Anna Reichert stars as the title character. Also featured in the 14 member company are Autumn Ness, NadiaHulett, Jessie Shelton, Teresa Marie Doran, and Luverne Seifert as well as members of CTC’s resident acting company, guestartists and student actors. CREATIVE Direction is by Whit MacLaughlin (who most recently directed Prom ‘06 at CTC), withscenic design by Donald Eastman, costumes by Richard St. Clair, lighting by Matt Frey, sound by Victor Zupanc, anddramaturgy by Elissa Adams. PLAYWRIGHT Lisa D’Amour initially developed a reputation for site-specific works in unusualsettings, such as The Parking Project and The Intergalactic Nemesis (both collaborations). Her acclaimed play, Anna BellaEema, had its debut in Austin as did her first professional production in 1995, Black Velvet Bernhardt. It was mounted byAustin’s Salvage Vanguard, which also produced 16 Spells to Charm the Beast in 2003. Since, there have been productions ofher work around the country. Her New York debut, Nita and Zita (created with Kathy Randels and Katie Pearl) won a 2003Obie Award. She has also received commissions from The Guthrie Theater. PRODUCER This is the second world premiere togo into full production as a result of the Playground program, a program by CTC and New Dramatists (in New York City) tofoster new work for young audiences. INFORMATION: 612-874-0400 Industry Contact Only: (Press) Linda Jacobs 612-872-5186

Youth Theatre

TALE OF A WEST TEXAS MARSUPIAL GIRL by Lisa D’Amour, music and material by Sxip Shirey Children’s Theatre Company

Vancouver, British Columbia

“Two men face off in a confrontation that puts their hopes and beliefs on the line.Rosh Hashanah. 1948. When two intelligent, traumatized men meet on a park bench in Montreal,the ensuing struggle is by turns tender and intense. Chaim has lost his faith; Hersh radiates hisbitterness with extreme religiosity. This story of hope and friendship in the face of genocideoffers an intellectually vigorous discourse of great minds struggling to find common ground.”

Ensemble: 2 Starring Dan Amos from Pacific Theatre, and Nathan Schmidt, a resident company member of Alberta’s RosebudTheatre. CREATIVE Directed by Morris Ertman, a recipient of nine Sterling Awards and a Dora Award for the Canadian OperaCompany’s Beatrice et Benedict; he has a long history with Pacific Theatre. He was recently nominated as Best Director forShadowlands. Design is by Stephen Waldschmidt (scenic), Luke Ertman (sound), and Graham Bedwell (lighting). PLAYWRIGHTBased on the short story, “My Quarrel with Hersh Rasseyner” by Chaim Grade, the play was made into a Genie-nominated EliCohen film in 1991. David Brandes is the creator and executive producer of Showtime’s series My Life as a Dog. He alsowrote and produced the film American Hero. INFORMATION: 604-731-5518 Industry Contact Only: (Press) Julie Sutherland 604-731-5483

Debut Drama

THE QUARREL by David Brandes and Joseph Telushkin Midnight Theatre Collective at Pacific Theatre Company




Kansas City, MO

“This tale of a future Utopia wonders whether human beings have fully examined theprice of perfection. It is the future. Where Jonas lives, a world has been created with noviolence, prejudice, poverty or injustice. It is Jonas’ new job to receive from The Giver all of thememories that society can no longer face. As Jonas begins to look more deeply into a life thathas been superficial, he senses that his past goes back farther than he had known, and has greaterimplications than he ever suspected. So when he sees a river, for the first time he realizes there isan Elsewhere from which it came, and an Elsewhere to which it is going.”

Male Leads: 1 The Coterie cast features Chris Fielder as Jonas with Walter Coppage, Chloe Fey, Lily, Richard Alan Nichols,Kimberely Queen, Brandin Tolbert and Shelley Wyche. CREATIVE The production features original music and incorporatesboth theatrical and video techniques. Director Jeff Church is joined by Jeff McLaughlin (set designer), Christine Taylor(videographer), Ron Arens (video editor) Jon Fulton Adams (costume designer), Art Kent (lighting designer), Jason Scheufler(composer), and David Kiehl (sound designer). PLAYWRIGHT Lois Lowry is the author of more than 30 books for youngadults, including the popular Anastasia Krupnik series. She has received countless honors, among them the BostonGlobe-Horn Book Award, the Dorothy Canfield Fisher Award, the California Young Reader’s Medal and the Mark TwainAward. Lowry received Newbery Medal awards for The Giver and Number the Stars. Eric Coble is a founding member ofCleveland Play House, where many of his plays have been staged including Bright Ideas (which ran Off-Broadway), and thechildren’s plays Pecos Bill and the Ghost Stampede, Pinocchio 3.5, Lake of Panthers, and Under the Flesh: The FinalDescent of Edgar Allan Poe. The Giver was first commissioned as a theatre piece by Oregon Children’s Theatre.INFORMATION: 816-474-6552 Industry Contact Only: (Press) Karen Massman VanAsdale 816-474-6785 x230

Youth Theatre

THE GIVER adapted by Eric Coble from Lois Lowry Coterie Theatre with First Stage Children’s Theater

San Diego, CA

“When success arrives for Benjamin, he begins to lose his best friend. This new comedyintroduces two young writers: Benjamin, a novelist, and David, a playwright. When Benjamin’sfirst novel vaults him into literary stardom, the two men face new challenges: Does career successcoincide with personal happiness? And more importantly, who should pay for lunch? The worldpremiere looks at jealousy and how success can poison a great friendship. It is recommended formature audiences.”

Ensemble: 2 Gideon Banner appeared in Big Bill at Lincoln Center Theatre, with Blue Man Group in New York, Boston andChicago, as well as on various regional stages. Sean Dugan appeared Off-Broadway in Valhalla, Corpus Christi, Flesh &Blood and Swiss Family Robinson in addition to productions across the country. CREATIVE Director Pam McKinnon alsostaged workshops of Itamar Moses’ Bach at Leipzig in New York. She worked extensively with Edward Albee, directing theworld premiere of Peter and Jerry: Homelife which ran with The Zoo Story (Hartford Stage), regional and European premieresof The Goat or, Who is Sylvia? and The Play About the Baby (the Goodman, Philadelphia Theater). Designers are Kris Stone(set), Markas Henry (costume), Russell Champa (lighting), and Paul Peterson (sound). PLAYWRIGHT Itamar Moses’also pennedOutrage, Bach at Leipzig, Celebrity Row, Yellowjackets, Back Back Back and Completeness, and various short plays andone-acts. His work has appeared Off-Broadway and at regional theatres across the country and in Canada. He has receivednew play commissions from The McCarter Theater, Playwrights Horizons, Berkeley Rep, Wilma Theater, and ManhattanTheatre Club. He has been published by Faber & Faber, Heinemann Press, Playscripts Inc., and Vintage. INFORMATION:619-234-5623 Industry Contact Only: (Press) Jessica Padilla 619-231-1941

Comedy Opening

THE FOUR OF US by Itamar Moses Old Globe




Richmond, British Columbia

“This black comedy follows Charlie Chaplin’s development of his classic film, TheGreat Dictator. Intended to illustrate Hitler’s lust for world domination to an uninvolvedAmerican public, Chaplin used comedy to speak out at a tumultuous time. Filming is going welluntil Chaplin faces his two most famous screen creations, Hynkel and the Tramp, both vying fortheir creator’s attention and both convinced that their world view is the correct one. Chaplin isforced to face the dark and light sides of his art, as art and politics collide.”

Solo Show CREATIVE Simon Johnston directs. Costume design and scenery are based on an original design by David Boechler.Music composition by Paul Sportelli. Video design by Simon Clemo. Original sound design by Trevor Hughes. Lighting designby Del Surjik. PLAYWRIGHT Simon Bradbury is considered one of Canada’s finest actors and for 16 years was a star player atthe Shaw Festival. Co-writer Dan Kamin performs worldwide for theatres, colleges and symphony orchestras. On film, hecreated the physical comedy sequences for Chaplin and Benny and Joon, and trained Robert Downey, Jr. and Johnny Deppfor their acclaimed starring performances. INFORMATION: 604-270-1812 Industry Contact Only: (Press) Sherry Elasoff 604-247-4978

Biography

CHARLIE CHAPLIN GOES TO WAR by Simon Bradbury and Dan Kamin Gateway Theatre

London, England

“In this new verse play, a problem with the neighbors puts a liberal couple into adilemma. Sophie and Max are a thoroughly modern British couple, cosmopolitan andopen-minded. The have even constructed their own economical bathroom which saves thirtylitres of water a day! Max is a lawyer – albeit a lawyer who grows his own dope. Then there’sHana and Ali next door – neighbors, but a world apart. Hana is pregnant, but black eyes are notusually a symptom of pregnancy. If ever there was a time for intervention, this is surely it.”

Ensemble: 5 The cast is Lorraine Burroughs (Tricycle’s Fabulation), Jonathan Coyne (Messiah at Old Vic), David Michaels(Justifying War at Tricycle and BBC4), Sonny Muslim and Badria Timimi (TV’s Trial & Retribution, Prime Suspect).CREATIVE Director Nicolas Kent heads the Tricycle Theatre and in 2004, co-directed the acclaimed Guantanamo: HonorBound to Defend Freedom at the Tricycle and in the West End. Besides his work at Tricycle, he has worked on such leadingstages as the Donmar Warehouse, the Royal Court, the Young Vic, Lyric Hammersmith and the Hampstead Theatre. In1995 he co-directed Ain’t Misbehavin’ at the Lyric Theatre in the West End. He has also directed and produced many playsfor television on the BBC and Channel 4. The production features scenic designs by Libby Watson, sound by Adam Cork andlighting by Lucy Carter. PLAYWRIGHT Tamsin Oglesby’s plays include Only the Lonely which was commissioned byBirmingham Repertory Theatre where it received its world premiere in 2005, Us and Them which was produced byHampstead Theatre in 2003 and Olive – a play for children – commissioned and presented under the National Theatre’s ShellConnections. Her first play Two Lips Indifferent Red was produced at the Bush Theatre in 1995. INFORMATION:44-207-328-1000 Industry Contact Only: (Press) Sophie Glover 011 44 20 7 292 8330

New Work

THE WAR NEXT DOOR by Tamsin Oglesby Tricycle Theatre

Broadway is definitely on a revival kick, and if British director John Doyle had his way, orchestra pits would vanish and allthe actors would learn how to play musical instruments. The clever device, which worked so effectively in last season’sSweeney Todd has been put at the disposal of a musical book that frequently feels dated, although the subject of a bachelorwho can’t make up his mind as to which of his girlfriends to marry is still timeless and amusing. However, there is a feelingthat we are not visiting a group of apartments but a glitzy Art Deco nightclub; everything is jet black, and the use of whiteand crystal suggests a party in progress. Indeed, Bobby is celebrating an important birthday – his thirtieth – and the deeplycynical friends he has invited suggest that marital commitment would be a great mistake, at any age.The glorious sweep of Sondheim’s music and the dazzling invention of his alternately savage and clever lyrics make everymusical number a chance for virtuoso performers to shine. Oddly, Doyle only occasionally taps into the great talents NewYork has to offer. Fortunately, the central role is in the commanding control of one of musical theatre’s most charismaticyoung performers. Raul Esparza makes the most of every musical and dramatic opportunity. His Bobby loves women,craves sex, and drives himself delirious with the choices the city places before him. Forced to work with a very limitedpalette, designer David Gallo assembles just enough furniture and candlelight. Ann Hould-Ward is one of our mostsought-after costume designers, but she seems restricted here. Perhaps George Furth’s book does not provide enough cluesto the personalities of the women in Bobby’s life (though this wasn’t a problem in the original production) and manyimportant roles are under-cast.In any case, there is not enough wit or variety in her all-black ensembles for female membersof the cast.The supporting cast is a mixed group, with few of the men making any impression. Barbara Walsh puts her own deliciousspin on “Ladies Who Lunch” (written for an older woman), even if it does not erase golden memories of Elaine Stritch. Theactress/singer who jumps into “Another Hundred People” doesn’t begin to compare to the original Pamela Myers, to nameone of a few disappointments. The notion of diverse casting in these parts is admirable, but each roles calls for performerswho are not just capable, but outstanding. In the end, we are left to admire one of the great Sondheim scores – always a joy tohear again – and a dazzling, unforgettable Bobby. Incidentally, the production originated at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park,which is listed as one of the producers of the revival. Information: 212-239-6200.

GREY GARDENS book by Doug Wright, music byScott Frankel, lyrics by Michael KorieWalter Kerr Theatre

ScriptProductionPerformance

COMPANY book by George Furth, music and lyricsby Stephen SondheimEthel Barrymore Theatre

Production

Script

Performance

There is such a huge gap between the costs of producing an Off-Broadway production, no matter how lavish, and a Broadwaymounting of the same material, that the number of projects that follow this path is astonishing. Last spring, the first andsecond acts of Grey Gardens at Playwrights Horizons did not fit together. The plot follows the relationship betweenmother and daughter socialites Edith and Edie Beale, as they go from the top of the social register to the bottom. The songswere highly expressive, musically and lyrically, and the second act was fraught with emotional tension which, unfortunately,did not resolve itself. It was also confusing that Christine Ebersole played the mother of Little Edie in Act One and thenLittle Edie, much older, in Act Two. The show took off during its Off-Broadway run, but no one would have encouraged aproducer, even one with deep pockets, to consider opening at a Broadway house three times larger than its original venue.

After the initial run, drastic revisions were undertaken, thanks to a sizable investment by Kelly Gorda of East of DohenyProductions with other producers. The contrast between Allen Moyer’s lavish sets for Act One and the subsequentdeterioration of the East Hampton home is graphically communicated. William Ivey Long’s costumes are witty andingenious. Some songs were dropped, and new numbers were added that clarified the theme of the evening. More importantly,the melodies created a psychological context for the two stories, told decades apart, and helped to illustrate how the shallowvalues of one era could echo through the years with devastating consequences. Using film and video projections (conceivedand executed with poetic flair), the show now suggests the theme of sensitivity which is slowly crushed by demandingnarcissists who never stop social climbing. The larger budget permits the score to be orchestrated (by Bruce Coughlin) witha resonance too often missing from today’s large-scale Broadway musicals. The best songs linger in the memory. ChristineEbersole’s final solo at the evening’s close culminates in a heart-wrenching question no one can answer, “would you?” Notsince the poignancy of the daughter in Gypsy has a character so artfully exposed a wounded heart. Director Michael Greifuses admirable restraint throughout, so when this moment arrives, the audience is unexpectedly awash in tears.Mary Louise Wilson does not appear until Act Two. As aging widow Edith Bouvier Beale, she has trapped her daughter,Little Edie, in neglect, poverty and servitude. In the new production, Wilson’s performance has grown in depth, partly due tointeractions with local characters who drop by, and partly due to the ingenious appearance of “ghosts” from the First Act(including downed pilot, Joe Kennedy, who was engaged to Little Edie when she was young). John McMillan’s role as anuncle is enhanced by a new song that he dances with his young nieces. Between his piano playing, the debonair Bob Stillmanfills the silences eloquently with visible heartache. Mixing these shadowy characters with fluid video images is a daring act fordirector Greif, who has pulled off his most impressive achievement to date. It is all the more remarkable given the earliershortcomings. As for Christine Ebersole, her carefully-constructed balance of comedy and pathos will surely be rememberedlong after the current run. She can start polishing her Tony now. Information: 212-239-6200. Librettist’s Rep: Sarah JaneLeigh, Sterling Standard, 212-242-1740; Composer & Lyricist’s Rep: Patrick Herold, ICM, 212-556-5600.

An amazingly overhauled and transformed upgrade of the lovely but flawed musical about the mother and daughter firstseen in the 1975 documentary of the same name. A triumph for Ebersole.

A level up from a glorified concert version of this Sondheim classic, director John Doyle once again puts musicalinstruments into the hands of his cast, some of whom are better cast than others. In the leading role, though, Raul Esparzais sensational.

Please feel free to contact us with any questions: [email protected]

The Compulsive Theatergoer




Broadway is definitely on a revival kick, and if British director John Doyle had his way, orchestra pits would vanish and allthe actors would learn how to play musical instruments. The clever device, which worked so effectively in last season’sSweeney Todd has been put at the disposal of a musical book that frequently feels dated, although the subject of a bachelorwho can’t make up his mind as to which of his girlfriends to marry is still timeless and amusing. However, there is a feelingthat we are not visiting a group of apartments but a glitzy Art Deco nightclub; everything is jet black, and the use of whiteand crystal suggests a party in progress. Indeed, Bobby is celebrating an important birthday – his thirtieth – and the deeplycynical friends he has invited suggest that marital commitment would be a great mistake, at any age.The glorious sweep of Sondheim’s music and the dazzling invention of his alternately savage and clever lyrics make everymusical number a chance for virtuoso performers to shine. Oddly, Doyle only occasionally taps into the great talents NewYork has to offer. Fortunately, the central role is in the commanding control of one of musical theatre’s most charismaticyoung performers. Raul Esparza makes the most of every musical and dramatic opportunity. His Bobby loves women,craves sex, and drives himself delirious with the choices the city places before him. Forced to work with a very limitedpalette, designer David Gallo assembles just enough furniture and candlelight. Ann Hould-Ward is one of our mostsought-after costume designers, but she seems restricted here. Perhaps George Furth’s book does not provide enough cluesto the personalities of the women in Bobby’s life (though this wasn’t a problem in the original production) and manyimportant roles are under-cast.In any case, there is not enough wit or variety in her all-black ensembles for female membersof the cast.The supporting cast is a mixed group, with few of the men making any impression. Barbara Walsh puts her own deliciousspin on “Ladies Who Lunch” (written for an older woman), even if it does not erase golden memories of Elaine Stritch. Theactress/singer who jumps into “Another Hundred People” doesn’t begin to compare to the original Pamela Myers, to nameone of a few disappointments. The notion of diverse casting in these parts is admirable, but each roles calls for performerswho are not just capable, but outstanding. In the end, we are left to admire one of the great Sondheim scores – always a joy tohear again – and a dazzling, unforgettable Bobby. Incidentally, the production originated at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park,which is listed as one of the producers of the revival. Information: 212-239-6200.

GREY GARDENS book by Doug Wright, music byScott Frankel, lyrics by Michael KorieWalter Kerr Theatre

ScriptProductionPerformance

COMPANY book by George Furth, music and lyricsby Stephen SondheimEthel Barrymore Theatre

Production

Script

Performance

There is such a huge gap between the costs of producing an Off-Broadway production, no matter how lavish, and a Broadwaymounting of the same material, that the number of projects that follow this path is astonishing. Last spring, the first andsecond acts of Grey Gardens at Playwrights Horizons did not fit together. The plot follows the relationship betweenmother and daughter socialites Edith and Edie Beale, as they go from the top of the social register to the bottom. The songswere highly expressive, musically and lyrically, and the second act was fraught with emotional tension which, unfortunately,did not resolve itself. It was also confusing that Christine Ebersole played the mother of Little Edie in Act One and thenLittle Edie, much older, in Act Two. The show took off during its Off-Broadway run, but no one would have encouraged aproducer, even one with deep pockets, to consider opening at a Broadway house three times larger than its original venue.

After the initial run, drastic revisions were undertaken, thanks to a sizable investment by Kelly Gorda of East of DohenyProductions with other producers. The contrast between Allen Moyer’s lavish sets for Act One and the subsequentdeterioration of the East Hampton home is graphically communicated. William Ivey Long’s costumes are witty andingenious. Some songs were dropped, and new numbers were added that clarified the theme of the evening. More importantly,the melodies created a psychological context for the two stories, told decades apart, and helped to illustrate how the shallowvalues of one era could echo through the years with devastating consequences. Using film and video projections (conceivedand executed with poetic flair), the show now suggests the theme of sensitivity which is slowly crushed by demandingnarcissists who never stop social climbing. The larger budget permits the score to be orchestrated (by Bruce Coughlin) witha resonance too often missing from today’s large-scale Broadway musicals. The best songs linger in the memory. ChristineEbersole’s final solo at the evening’s close culminates in a heart-wrenching question no one can answer, “would you?” Notsince the poignancy of the daughter in Gypsy has a character so artfully exposed a wounded heart. Director Michael Greifuses admirable restraint throughout, so when this moment arrives, the audience is unexpectedly awash in tears.Mary Louise Wilson does not appear until Act Two. As aging widow Edith Bouvier Beale, she has trapped her daughter,Little Edie, in neglect, poverty and servitude. In the new production, Wilson’s performance has grown in depth, partly due tointeractions with local characters who drop by, and partly due to the ingenious appearance of “ghosts” from the First Act(including downed pilot, Joe Kennedy, who was engaged to Little Edie when she was young). John McMillan’s role as anuncle is enhanced by a new song that he dances with his young nieces. Between his piano playing, the debonair Bob Stillmanfills the silences eloquently with visible heartache. Mixing these shadowy characters with fluid video images is a daring act fordirector Greif, who has pulled off his most impressive achievement to date. It is all the more remarkable given the earliershortcomings. As for Christine Ebersole, her carefully-constructed balance of comedy and pathos will surely be rememberedlong after the current run. She can start polishing her Tony now. Information: 212-239-6200. Librettist’s Rep: Sarah JaneLeigh, Sterling Standard, 212-242-1740; Composer & Lyricist’s Rep: Patrick Herold, ICM, 212-556-5600.

An amazingly overhauled and transformed upgrade of the lovely but flawed musical about the mother and daughter firstseen in the 1975 documentary of the same name. A triumph for Ebersole.

A level up from a glorified concert version of this Sondheim classic, director John Doyle once again puts musicalinstruments into the hands of his cast, some of whom are better cast than others. In the leading role, though, Raul Esparzais sensational.

Please feel free to contact us with any questions: [email protected]

The Compulsive Theatergoer


TheatreScope · Minneapolis / St. Paul, Mn 100 MEN'S WIFE In this tale of human trafficking during...

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